THIS year’s Dulverton and Exmoor Literary Festival opens on Friday (November 14) with many of its events already sold out.

Some tickets remain available via Visit Dulverton’s website but festival organiser Ali Pegrum warned any delay could lead to disappointment.

The festival, now in its fourth year, runs until Monday and includes highly topical sessions with the author of a book which helped bring down Prince Andrew and an Observer newspaper journalist whose exposé on the author of ‘The Salt Path‘ gave a new take on the ‘true story’.

Ms Pegrum said there were waiting lists for investigative journalist Chloe Hadjimatheou’s ‘Salt Path’ talk and Royal biographer Andrew Lownie speaking on the downfall of Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, the subject of his book ‘The Rise and Fall of the House of York’.

There is also a literary lunch with Masterchef judge William Sitwell, who lives close to Exmoor, a close look at Margaret Thatcher with Iain Dale and Jonathan Dimbleby, and a discussion about profitable farming with Chris Clark and Robin Milton.

Saturday’s attractions include a nature and conservation talk by acclaimed campaigner Hannah Bourne-Taylor, a Jane Austen 250th anniversary talk with Jessica Bull and Helena Kelly, and a conversation with multi-million copy bestselling novelist Ruth Hogan.

Visitors to Dulverton Heritage Centre will learn about the 25th anniversary of the Exmoor Pony charity The Moorland Mousie Trust, and also on Saturday festival-goers can meet successful local authors including Elizabeth Delo, writer of the debut bestseller ‘Becoming Liz Taylor’.

Nigel Phillips will be sharing his knowledge of ‘The Nature of the Quantocks’ and Exmoor-based Sam Collins will have copies of her critically acclaimed novel ‘A Beautiful Noise’.

Dulverton’s very own Moleskine is the Festival’s first canine author, and with owner Gill Whitehead will share details of Moleskine’s book ‘The Hunting Dog’s Tale’.

Children’s Story Corners on Saturday and Sunday mornings in the Bridge Inn, from 10.30 am to 11.45 am, will feature authors Emily Lloyd-Gale and Becca Rogers. Admission is free.

Events on Sunday in the Town Hall include an opportunity to meet classical music broadcaster Petroc Trelawny with virtuoso violinist Tamsin Waley-Cohen, a true Devon crime talk with John Cornwell and Rachel Johnson, and ‘The Hiroshima Men’ with Iain MacGregor and Joshua Levine.

There will also be the opportunity to meet the celebrated actress Carol Drinkwater with Veronica Henry and Kate Lord Brown and a host of bestselling crime thriller writers to reveal how they do it.

In the heritage centre on Sunday is a talk on the 25th anniversary of the Two Moors Festival with founder Penny Adie and a discussion about taking risks in both life and travel - whether on foot or horseback - with Hilary Bradt and Victoria Eveleigh.

Children’s authors Anne Parsons and Miriam Latimer will bring their books to life for youngsters on Sunday in the Bridge Inn, from 10.30 am to 11.45 am.

On the festival Monday, there are tickets available to meet former Children’s Laureate Lauren Child in a 1.30 pm session in the Town Hall.